In 1941 Arthur Schlesinger Jr., in his book The Age of Jackson said this:
"... since this is a capitalistic society, the class most interested in its security and prosperity is the capitalist class, which thus should have the most power.
The theory has survived every test but experience.
It simply has not worked. Since the Federalist party the American business community appears to have lost its political capacity; it has not been, in the strict sense, a ruling class.
In placid days power naturally gravitates to it as the strongest group in the state; but through American history it has been unable to use that power very long for national purposes.
Moved typically by personal and class, rarely by public, considerations, the business community has invariably brought national affairs to a state of crisis and exasperated the rest of society into dissatisfaction bordering on revolt".
America has had an ebb and flow of a variety of governments and policies over its existence.
That Schlesinger quote puts the basis for that back and forth into understandable English language terms.
He was talking in the midst of a time when things were "bordering on revolt"
And a president had been elected previously who was, when Schlesinger wrote those words, in the process of fixing that problem.
The President was Franklin Roosevelt.
He created the system that, by 1955 had created the largest middle class in history.
We all got along.
Made fun of each other.
But, got along.
We all believed that the system worked.
I was only thirteen, but things seemed to work.
Today it's different.
Nothing "seems to work".
We seem to be in a place where our supposed leaders have "brought national affairs to a state of crisis and exasperated the rest of society into dissatisfaction bordering on revolt".
So, what do we do?
Flee or fight, I guess.
Fight, from my viewpoint is the only option.
That means that the Democratic Party better come up with a program, real fast.
Back in the Biden thing they came up with one and it was probably most of the way necessary to avoid the "revolt".
It was called "Build Back Better" and it had these components:
1. Social Infrastructure
Universal pre‑K for 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds
A national program delivered through public schools and childcare centers.
Expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Extension of the pandemic-era monthly payments aimed at reducing child poverty.
Childcare subsidies
Caps on childcare costs as a percentage of income for most families.
Affordable housing investments
Funding for rental assistance, public housing repairs, and housing supply expansion.
2. Health Care
Medicare hearing benefit
Hearing coverage added to Medicare (vision and dental were removed).
ACA subsidies extended
Lower premiums for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.
Prescription drug reforms (initially included, later stripped)
Medicare negotiation authority was removed after moderate pushback.
3. Climate & Energy
~$550 billion in climate investments
The largest climate package in U.S. history at the time.
Included:
Clean‑energy tax credits (~$320B)
Incentives for solar, wind, EVs
Home weatherization programs
Methane reduction programs
Manufacturing incentives for clean energy
4. Tax & Revenue
Higher corporate tax rates and minimum tax floors
Surtax on high earners
Enhanced IRS enforcement
Targeting wealthy tax evaders to raise revenue.
*****
Seems like quite a bit.
Of better style of life.
Bien être, the French call it.
I like bien être.
Compared to donnieLand.
*****
That's where the Democrats should start.
Even the Socialists.
Who have to run as Democrats.
Socialism compared to donnieLand is pretty non-threatening; pretty "you really exist" reinforcing.
I've periodically lived in Paris for over two years of the last twenty.
I prefer their hybrid of capitalism and socialism.
And all that bien être.
